Translation guide
The English word 'impatient' can describe a person who dislikes waiting, someone eager to do something, or a general lack of patience. In Japanese, the most natural expressions depend on whether you're talking about waiting, eagerness, or a personality trait.
Expressing that someone cannot wait calmly and gets annoyed by delays.
Literally 'dislike waiting'. A straightforward way to say someone is impatient about waiting.
彼は待つのが嫌いだ。
He is impatient about waiting.
Describes a person who is hasty, impatient, or always in a rush. Often used for personality.
彼はせっかちだから、行列に並ぶのが苦手だ。
He's impatient, so he's not good at standing in line.
Literally 'short-tempered', but often used for impatience. Implies a quickness to get frustrated.
気が短い人は、渋滞に巻き込まれるとすぐイライラする。
Impatient people get irritated quickly when stuck in traffic.
The negative potential form of 'wait', meaning 'cannot wait'. Casual and direct.
もう待てない！
I can't wait any longer!
Expressing a strong desire to do something soon, often with excitement.
Pattern meaning 'I want to do ~ soon'. Shows eagerness and impatience to start.
早く映画を見たい。
I'm impatient to see the movie.
Means 'cannot wait any longer', often used for positive anticipation.
夏休みが待ちきれない。
I can't wait for summer vacation.
An adjective describing a frustrating situation that makes you feel impatient or irritated because things aren't moving fast enough.
Describing a person's character as impatient in various situations.
Literally 'lacking patience/endurance'. A clear way to describe someone who is not patient.
彼は忍耐力がないから、長い会議は苦手だ。
He's impatient, so he's not good at long meetings.
Means 'patient'. Use the negative form to say 'impatient'.
彼はあまり我慢強くない。
He is not very patient.
Means 'short-tempered' or 'quick-tempered'. Can imply impatience but focuses more on anger.
There is no single Japanese word that covers all uses of 'impatient'. Avoid directly translating 'I'm impatient' as '私は impatient です'. Instead, use the phrases above depending on the situation.
彼の話はいつもじれったい。
His way of talking is always so slow it makes me impatient.
Impatient people get angry quickly.